With games an increasing various industry and cultural form, there are still many myths that surround the medium and restrict its potentials. When this often happens at the expense of marginalized audiences and creators who are already present within the space of games and the future realities of games, steps must be take to understand the nature of games and why these myths prove so insidious. By applying the approaches of Structuralism and Game Studies to the videogame Celeste, the ways that myths surrounding games can be picked away to give space to new ideologies of play, design, and consumption.

Identity is something that I considered to be concrete and true, but I never really questioned my own identity until I was faced with solitude and self reflection. Throughout this essay, I will explain my journey through identity and my realization that there is no stable self and there never will be. To reach this conclusion I defined Identity and different theories that are associated with it, while also analyzing texts from theorists such as Nietzsche and Butler. I was able to reflect on my own identity and embark on an endless voyage of questioning while conducting this research. This inspired me to create an art installation that depicts my discovery while also displaying the painful mourning of a Self that I never really had.

The project explores how the school of Digital Culture at Arizona State University can create an online marketing video through an attempt in making such a video and a deep research into online video marketing. The first half of the project encompasses an attempt in making a video only using footage captured within Digital Culture from the four years. Using techniques widely used in the media industry, the footage is put together to market the school of Digital Culture. The second half of the project researches how such a video can be created by investigating how an online video stands out with the tools of viral content, rich information, emotional arousal and video construction. Then applies the research to the online marketing videos for college recruiting. Observations of current successful online college marketing videos are made in attempt to document the successful and unsuccessful techniques. The videos used from the University of Oregon. Butler University, and Boston College. After all the research in how an online marketing video stands out and observing the current success of online college videos, then the information learned is then applied to the school of Digital Culture. Now an array of tools, techniques and options are given in how the school of Digital Culture can create an online marketing video for the program.

Feminism has been the focus of many writers throughout the decades but has recently gained momentum in the eyes of the general public thanks to works like Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Feminist figure Hélène Cixous encourages women to empower themselves by applying feminist ideas to their writing, rather than remaining complacent in an oppressive society. Avalon strives to portray some of these ideas through the lens of Arthurian Legend. A feminist story set in an epic fantasy world, Avalon shows the struggle of marginalized groups in a patriarchal, discriminatory, and dystopian society.

The main character, Princess Alexandria, must navigate a world where the all magic is controlled by a power-hungry ruler, King Mordred. After he decides to pursue the Ruins of Kronos in order to gain control over time itself, the princess decides to intervene. Alexandria escapes the palace with her childhood best friend James, to stop him, nearly dying in the process, and finds a group of fairies who have lost their wings. The fairies help her discover the true origins and capabilities of magic, making her realize that she must restore it to the realm in order to stop King Mordred. Alexandria disguises herself as a man and joins the King’s Knights, befriending a rebel in disguise named Keith along the way, as she discovers her brother Noah may be on the King’s side. Together, they work to liberate lands oppressed by King Mordred’s rule, and by the Black Plague that Morgana has set upon them, all while uncovering the corruption present in their society.

This thesis presents the moral and ethical controversy surrounding the possibility of terraforming Mars and provides an overview of the 5 characteristics of Mars that can kill you – radiation, low atmospheric pressure, carbon dioxide, freezing temperatures, and dust – should man embark on the journey. It presents these issues in written form, by storyboard, extensive graphics, and in a WIKI.

Ethical Considerations: The thesis presents the three main threads of thought regarding terraforming – that we should because it is there and man – superior to all other forms of life – wants challenges; that we should not since we are not superior to other forms of life and have no right; and the middle position – that we should be able to terraform Mars only if we clean up our act on Earth first. This is the point of view taken by the author of the thesis.

5 Ways Mars Can Kill You: the essay portion of the thesis is an overview of the research regarding the main obstacles to terraforming Mars and potential solutions.

Storyboard: Depicts the ethical efforts one must achieve before traveling to Mars as well as the process of terraforming – all images in chronological order.

Graphics: A series of Illustrator/Photoshop graphics moves the reader through the problems we have here on Earth that must be solved before terraforming, the process of getting to Mars and the activities involved in making her inhabitable for man.

WIKI: The WIKI showcases thesis material in a more interactive manner. JavaScript animations run throughout the WIKI and the user is able to create posts within the website – which acts as a forum.